penetrate
/ˈpɛnɪtreɪt
/verb [with object]
1Go into or through (something), especially with force or effort: the shrapnel had penetrated his head [no object]: tunnels that penetrate deep into the earth’s core...
- That was the last thing I remembered before a familiar voice penetrated my unconsciousness.
- The 16-year-old had a lock-knife thrust into him with such force it penetrated his chest and hit a lung.
- An important role in destroying an enemy force that has penetrated the defense is played by the ambush party.
Synonyms
pierce, puncture, make a hole in, perforate, stab, prick, probe, gore, spike, stick, impale, transfix, bore (through), drill (through), lance
1.1(Of a man) insert the penis into the vagina or anus of (a sexual partner).
2Gain access to (an organization, place, or system), especially when this is difficult to do: M15 had been penetrated by Russian intelligence...
- New Orleans was perhaps distinctive in the extreme savagery of its ghettos, and the inability of civic organizations to penetrate poor areas.
- All of the aid in the world cannot penetrate political systems which are rife with corruption and nepotism.
- They could be exploits that would allow military intelligence to penetrate military systems.
Synonyms
infiltrate, slip into, sneak into, creep into, insinuate oneself into, worm one's way into, make inroads into, invade, intrude on, overrun
2.1(Of a company) begin to sell its products in (a particular market or area): the company has succeeded in penetrating Western motorcycle markets...
- Determine how this initiative is going to help your firm make more money, sell more products, penetrate new markets, or increase shareholder wealth.
- In the first quarter of this year, the order placement from China increased to around 120,000 tons partly because the company stressed penetrating the Chinese market.
- Many low-grade products are penetrating the Thai market and were popular among local people because of lower prices.
3Succeed in understanding or gaining insight into (something complex or mysterious): I could never penetrate his thoughts...
- Those of us who have tried to penetrate the often baffling complexities of modern music have often had cause to be grateful to him for unravelling its mysteries.
- I felt I had finally penetrated William's menacing mask and gained some understanding of the workings of his mind.
- The key often symbolizes a mystery about to be penetrated or a stage on our pathway to discovery and enlightenment.
Synonyms
understand, comprehend, apprehend, fathom, grasp, perceive, discern, get to the bottom of, solve, resolve, make out, make sense of, interpret, puzzle out, work out, figure out, unravel, decipher, make head or tail of
informal crack, get, tumble to, latch on to, cotton on to
British informal suss out, twig
3.1 [no object] Be fully understood or realized by someone: as his words penetrated, she saw a mental picture of him with Dawn...
- The cold anger Geoff felt was pushed aside by concern as her words penetrated.
- Mel echoed, letting the words slowly penetrate.
- She's pretty, he thinks unexpectedly, but the thought is lost as her words penetrate.
Synonyms
be understood, be comprehended, be taken in, be grasped, become clear;
register, make an impression, get through, sink in, fall into place, dawn, come home
informal click
Origin
Mid 16th century: from Latin penetrat- 'placed or gone into', from the verb penetrare; related to penitus 'inner'.